Chelsea allowed Romelu Lukaku to join Everton on a season-long loan last night
after rejecting advances from a series of clubs for Demba Ba.

With Samuel Eto’o now competing with Fernando Torres to be the club’s first-choice senior striker, manager Jose Mourinho was happy to allow either Ba or Lukaku to go on loan.

There was a firm offer from Arsenal for Ba, as well as interest from Valencia, Napoli and West Ham United. Chelsea, though, wanted a £3 million loan fee for Ba and eventually decided to allow Lukaku to join Everton.

Lukaku had hoped to play a major role this season for Chelsea but Mourinho has so far preferred to start with Torres and has now added the option of Eto’o.

Chelsea were always adamant that Torres would stay and Mourinho was also determined to keep Juan Mata, despite interest yesterday from Paris St-Germain.

As well as Lukaku, Mourinho also loaned Victor Moses to Liverpool yesterday while Sam Hutchinson has moved to Vitesse Arnhem for the season. Mourinho has recruited Eto’o, Andre Schurrle, Willian, Marco van Ginkel and Mark Schwarzer this summer at a total outlay of almost £70 million.

Like Chelsea, Tottenham had also completed their incoming transfer business before deadline day although there was late interest in signing Thomas Ince from Blackpool and Hulk from Zenit St Petersburg.

It is understood that Spurs did make an inquiry for Hulk, the Brazil striker, but were quoted a £10 million fee for just a season-long loan.

It means that Roberto Soldado, Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe, who was wanted by QPR, will remain as the senior strikers.

Tottenham did allow some of their squad out on loan last night, with Tom Carroll and Benoît Assou-Ekotto joining former manager Harry ­Redknapp at Queens Park Rangers.

“It is fantastic to be linking up with Harry again,” Assou-Ekotto said.

“I enjoyed my best form at Spurs under him and am looking forward to doing my best for QPR. I know the way Harry likes his sides to play, and it is a style that suits me which is why I am excited about this opportunity.”

Redknapp, who described Assou-Ekotto as “one of the best left-backs in the Premier League”, also signed Niko Kranjcar for the third time in his career.

Redknapp described Carroll, an England Under-21 international, as a future England senior player.